Dry suit undergarment - weighting differences

[geoff w]

I'm looking for dry suit undergarments for my wife. We just ordered DUI TLS 350 dry suits, and because she's petite (5'2", 110 lbs) ordered a custom size for her. My LDS carries both DUI and Weezle undergarments, but I've heard conflicting advice on whether one style requires more weight than the other. Some have said she'll need more weight with the DUI, and others have told me she'll need to wear more weight with the Weezle (all other things being equal). The DUI would be the Actionwear 300 jumpsuit (rated for 45° - 60°) and the Weezle would be their Extreme line. Either one would probably need to have the arms and legs shortened to fit her correctly. The planned diving conditions are typical southern California - low 50s to high 60s.

Any recommendations between the two as to whether one will be warmer, or which one she'll need more or less weight? I stopped at another nearby dive shop today and they had a Diving Concepts thinsulate jumpsuit that also looked quite toasty, so there are other options around here. My LDS recommended against the DUI thinsulate jumpsuit, saying they found it too warm for So Cal waters.

 

[fisheater]

One thing to keep in mind is that someone else's concept of what is too warm has only limited value to whatever your wife feels is right for her. This is especially true because, as a petite person, she was a lot more surface area to volume than most other divers.

 

[TSandM]

I have one of the Diving Concepts Thinsulate jumpsuits. I'm 5'4" and small framed, and it fits me extremely well. It was sufficient, when new, for diving in the mid 50's for 45 minutes, if swimming. I now use it for water temperatures in the 65 to 70 range.

I suspect the Weezle will need more weight than the DUI 300g, but it would be MUCH warmer. The Weezle Extreme + is comparable to my Whites MK3 in insulation, and is much warmer than the DUI.

 

[geoff w]

I have one of the Diving Concepts Thinsulate jumpsuits. I'm 5'4" and small framed, and it fits me extremely well. It was sufficient, when new, for diving in the mid 50's for 45 minutes, if swimming. I now use it for water temperatures in the 65 to 70 range.

I suspect the Weezle will need more weight than the DUI 300g, but it would be MUCH warmer. The Weezle Extreme + is comparable to my Whites MK3 in insulation, and is much warmer than the DUI.

How many dives, washings (or whatever metric) did it take for the Diving Concepts jumpsuit to go from the 50s to high 60s range as far as warmth and comfort?

Any best guess on how much more weight will be needed for the Weezle than the DUI 300g suits? I haven't been able to get a straight answer from any of the shops I've talked to

 

[Bubbletrubble]

How many dives, washings (or whatever metric) did it take for the Diving Concepts jumpsuit to go from the 50s to high 60s range as far as warmth and comfort?

I could be wrong about this, but I think TSandM was implying that her diving style has transitioned a bit from more active/shorter dives to less active/longer dives. The latter situation requires a warmer undergarment solution. Also, over time and several washings, Thinsulate fibers will begin to lose their insulating capacity. In terms of use, I'm talking about the loss of a little warmth over hundreds of dives (at least that's been my experience). If you go with a Thinsulate undergarment, the recommendation is not to wash the garment too frequently (save for the rare occasions that the user experiences flooding and never with detergent). It's advisable that your wife wear polypro underwear, or something like it, underneath the undergarment which can bear the brunt of frequent washings.

Any best guess on how much more weight will be needed for the Weezle than the DUI 300g suits? I haven't been able to get a straight answer from any of the shops I've talked to

You won't be able to get a straight answer because there is no way for anyone to predict it accurately. There are no simple rule of thumb equations. She simply needs to do a proper weight check with the drysuit + undergarment in question. Finding a good drysuit + undergarment combo for a diver is very much a trial-and-error process.

As with all drysuit undergarments, weighting is dependent on the user's cold tolerance and how little gas the user is willing to keep in the suit while doing a safety stop at the end of a dive. The Weezle's insulating capacity is probably more dependent on keeping a larger drysuit bubble (than a Thinsulate undergarment), so I think that's why people are guesstimating that more weight will be required while using the Weezle...but that's just a guess.

 

[TSandM]

Yes, it's undoubtedly a combination of the Thinsulate wearing and the fact that I move FAR less when diving than I used to. I wore the 200g with a 200g vest under it, and a layer of polarfleece long underwear under that, through most of the first two years I dove here. I bought the Mk3 with my Fusion in early 2008.

I don't know about weight comparison between the 300g and the Weezle. I know that it was my impression that the Weezle Extreme + needed a little LESS weight than my MK3.